Seven Fiancees
by Miko2
Summary: Ranma and Akane have five daughters. Kasumi and Tofu have two more. Now, if Soun and Genma can find a suitable male heir to wed one of their granddaughters, their legacy will be secure...
1. Chapter 1 A Typical Reunion

This story evolved out of my short-short "Decisions", which several people thought I should expand upon. At present the actual scene found in "Decisions" will probably never occur, but that's okay. It wasn't a very good short-short anyway, but the concept behind it has potential, or so several people seem to think.

Thanks: to those who encouraged me initially... William Jones, Mark Ferrer, skeezy5, Jonathan Ng, Ryan Erik, and Scott Pollert. Taper Wickel for nifty names. My twisted roommate Tom Hayes for Miss Hinako's son. David Johnston for his detailed critique of the second chapter, which I posted on the FFML originally as chapter one. It's been rewritten just a little. Natsume Atsuko's for her comments. And again, William Jones for reminding me months later that he still wanted to read the darn thing! That was years ago, I have no idea if he's still waiting, but I'm actually working on this story now.

**Seven Fiancées**

M A Davis / Miko

**Chapter One: A Typical Reunion**

Bright afternoon sunlight warmed her arm, and Ranma blinked in confusion. She was inside, lying on a bed, but not her own. Had she been asleep? A comforter covered her feet. Her head was throbbing.

She was in the guest room, she realized. In the corner, half asleep, sat one of her students, Kazayuki Tamakaji. Ranma wandered through her memories, but failed to locate the path that led to her waking up here, now. She shook her head, wincing at the pain it caused, then focused on her student.

Kazayuki yawned. His gaze drifted across the room, coming to a stop when it encountered Ranma. The boy sat up, abruptly.

"Ah, Sensei! You're finally awake! We were so worried!"

Ranma managed a weak smile. "Don't worry," she said, "you won't get rid of me so easily." She winced again at the pain in her head. "Did you get the number of the truck?" she asked.

"Truck?" the student asked blankly.

Ranma regarded the boy. Although young, he was nearly the same size as her father, and what he gave up in speed he more than made up in sheer power. Unfortunately, like her father, Kazayuki was not the brightest star in the sky.

His face was puffy, which wasn't unusual -- Kazayuki generally resembled a Japanese pillsbury dough boy with a shaved head -- but at the moment, his eyes were threatening to vanish beneath waves of flesh. Ranma recognized the look. Kazayuki was worried, and feeling more than his fair share of guilt.

Ranma sighed. Her whole life she'd planned on becoming a martial arts _Sensei_. It had seemed likesuch a noble calling. She just hadn't realized how much it resembled babysitting.

"It's a joke," Ranma said, sitting up. "All I meant was, what hit me?"

"Um... _I_ did, Sensei."

_Ah,_ thought Ranma. _It begins to make some sense..._

"Hmm? Nice try, Tamakaji, but we both know you can't lay a finger on me. I may not remember what happened, but for you to get through my defenses..."

"But I did, Sensei. You were distracted."

"A martial artist is never distracted, Tamakaji. Remember that."

"As you say, Sensei."

"Good. Next question. Why am I a girl?"

"Your niece threw water on you," the student said.

"Ah. This would be just before you didn't hit me when I wasn't distracted?"

"Hai!"

Ranma put her hand to her head. "It's all coming back to me now. We were all celebrating the opening of the new dojo, and the dormitory on the third floor. All my family were here -- mom, pop, Kasumi and Tofu-Sensei, even Nabiki. We were giving a short demonstration in the dojo, after showing off your award for first-place in the all-Tokyo competition..." Ranma stopped, glancing up at her student. "I didn't just dream that part, did I? You really won, didn't you?"

"Hai, Sensei! Just last Saturday!" Kazayuki produced the blue ribbon and beamed with pride. "You said I was the luckiest S.O.B. you ever saw!"

"Ah. And so you are, Tamakajii."

"Sensei, what's an S.O.B.?"

Ranma smiled. "I'm asking the questions here, Tamakaji. How long have I been out?"

"About two hours, I think."

"Like a light, huh? That's some punch you've got there, boy."

"Hai, Sensei!" The beefy boy appeared to physically swell with pride, and Ranma wondered briefly if he were about to burst. The image wasn't pleasant.

"Okay, then." She slid off the bed and did a simple kata to stretch her limbs. "Is everyone still here?"

"Hai. They decided to have dinner without you. They said to bring you out as soon as you woke up."

"How nice of them," Ranma said, sourly. "Oh, gee, the master of the house has suffered a concussion, when's dinner? No doubt pop's already eaten my portion. Well then, come, Tamakaji."

XXX

The sound of raised voices and heated discussion drifted from the family room. The loudest, angriest voice was Akane's, as was often the case. Ranma rounded the corner just as she launched into another tirade.

"Absolutely not! I can't believe you two! Don't you have any idea what you put Ranma and I through, even now? You are _not _putting my daughters through anything similar, and that's final!"

"Not this discussion again," Ranma muttered. Akane spun about at the sound of her husband's voice. The anger in her eyes gave way to concern. "Ranma! How are you feeling? Tamakaji clocked you pretty hard; you had us all worried! Wait, I'll get the teakettle."

Heads turned as Ranma stepped into the family room, concern in every face. Ranma scratched the back of her head "Heh. Sorry to worry you all," she said. "I guess my student got in a lucky shot."

. The student in question stood stiffly a few feet behind her, like an ever-present bodyguard, which he probably thought he was.

"You're losing your touch, boy!" her father, Genma Saotome, growled. The massive man was beginning to show his age, but still dressed in his white gi with a white cloth tied over his bald head, and still wore the same glasses, attached by strings looped about his ears. "That punch should have been easily blocked!"

"Hey! I was distracted!"

"A martial artist is never distracted," her father intoned.

Ranma rolled her eyes. Moments later, she felt the _very_ familiar sensation of warm water running over her head and down her sides, and the inevitable tingling change that came with it. She -- now he -- smiled at the dark-haired woman standing next to him. "Thanks, love," he said with a smile. "That's much better."

"I like you this way better too," Akane said, planting a light kiss on his cheek. "Dinner's finished. The children are all out in the dojo. I saved you some food, if you're hungry."

"Maybe a little later."

"You really gave us a scare, Ranma. You need to be more careful; you're not as young as you used to be."

"Me? Old?" Ranma laughed. "I've still got all of my hair, right? I can't be old!"

He glanced around the room again. His mother, Nodoka, sat near her husband, as regal in her decorative kimono as he was not in his simple clothing. His father-in-law, Soun Tendo, sat nearby, also dressed in his familar brown dojo outfit. They had christened the newer, larger dojo earlier today, and Genma and Soun, as the current patriarchs of the Anything Goes Martial Arts school, had given a simple demonstration. Ranma smiled, recalling that he'd expected at least one of the two to come away limping. Instead, it was he, the undisputed master of the school, who had embarrassed himself.

Also gathered in the room were his two sisters-in-law, Nabiki Tendo and Kasumi, along with Kasumi's husband, Dr. Tofu Ono. Kasumi and Tofu didn't look much different from when he'd first met them; she wore a simple but pretty blue top and a dark blue ankle-length skirt, while he wore the loose casual clothing he preferred. Nabiki, however, habitially dressed like the powerful businesswoman she now was, and wore a crisp white blouse, thin red tie, and pressed black slacks.

Ranma was happy to have his entire, extended family beneath one roof. Nabiki, especially, had a full schedule and visited rarely. If only they could just relax for one evening...

"Speaking of getting old..." his father said. "We were just having a discussion..."

"I know," Ranma replied, anger creeping into his voice. "The same one we always have. Why can't we have at least _one_ family gathering without you two ruining it?"

"It's for the good of the school, boy," Genma said. "There _must_ be a male heir. Tendo and I insist, and as the heads of the school, we have the right. If Tofu's son is too weak to take the responsibility..."

"There's nothing weak about the study of medicine," Tofu said in a calm, steady voice. There was not the slightest hint of threat in his tone, but Genma flinched anyway. Dr. Tofu had a mild, easy-going temper, and was the only one present to never study the Anything Goes style, yet he was a formidable martial artist in his own right. At a family gathering just over twelve years earlier, a drunk and belligerent Genma had actually managed to anger him, and he'd shown exactly _how_ formidable he could be. No one, least of all Genma, had ever forgotten it.

"No, no, I didn't mean to suggest that, Tofu-Sensei. Being a doctor is a noble profession, as I'm well aware. It's just that, being the only male of his generation, he might have considered..."

"He did, father," Kasumi said. "It's not something he wanted. We respect his decision."

"Which is all well and good," Genma said, "but the problem remains: the school must have a male heir."

"Why?" Akane asked. "Aren't our daughters good enough to run the school on their own?"

"Your daughters and the Ono daughters are all fine students of the school," Genma said, "but they are still women. For the school to continue, we need to have a man in charge, who won't do stupid or foolish things, or act cowardly, or weak. Only then can Tendo and I live out our remaining days in peace."

"Ah. Someone to carry on the shining example that you two have set, then," Akane replied sarcastically.

"Exactly!" Genma said, beaming with pride.

"Are you nuts?" Akane sprang to her feet angrily. "Without Ranma and I, this school would be nothing! _We_ are the ones who have maintained the school, and _we_ will be the ones who decide who will carry it on, and when, and how! End of discussion!"

As Akane stomped down the hallway, Soun Tendo began to weep uncontrollably. "My daughter is angry with me! Oh, Akane!"

"Well," Nabiki said, "that could have gone better."

"Never-the-less," Genma said, "what I say is true."

"That's all you care about, isn't it?" Ranma growled. "Honor and rules and being right, that's all that matters. Honestly, Pop, I don't know how Mom puts up with you!" Ranma spun and headed down the hall after his wife. After ten steps he stopped.

"Tamakaji?"

"Hai." The boy called out, not three steps behind him.

"You are not following me into my bedroom. Is that clear?"

"Hai, Sensei."

XXX

Back in the family room, the rest of the clan were still talking over the subject at hand.

"We're not trying to force them into a decision," Genma said.

"Forgive me, father Saotome," Kasumi replied, "but that's exactly what you're doing."

"What the decision might be is completely up to them," Genma continued. "It's not like we're telling them who we want to inherit the dojo. All we ask is that he be a student of the school, and that he marry one of our granddaughters. Is that too much to ask?"

"For what it's worth," Nabiki said, "I agree with Father and Mr. Saotome for once. Even Ranma and Akane admit that it takes two to run the dojo these days, and now that I have a stake in it, I want to be sure the future of the dojo is in good hands. It's best if the dojo inheritance goes to two people who are married and both of the school."

"Since when do you have 'a stake' in our dojo?" Genma growled.

"Why, since I financed the new dojo and the third-floor dorm rooms," Nabiki said. "If Ranma and Akane can pay me off, that's one thing, but until then I essentially own a part of this place."

Genma frowned, but before he could speak, Kasumi spoke up. "Perhaps you three are right, then," she said. "Ranma and Akane have waited long enough to name an heir. What if something were to happen to them? I don't like to think that way, but we need to consider all possibilities. The school will need to be placed in good hands, and having two people who are both students of the school is the best way."

"It should be someone who is worthy of the school," Genma said. "A former student. Kameichi Urena, for example. He was one of the best I've seen."

"He's married," Nabiki said. "Anyway, he's almost twice as old as any of your granddaughters."

"Yadori Maeno then," Soun said. "He had an excellent grasp of the art."

"He's in Hollywood now, father," Nabiki said. "He's making good money. He doesn't want to come back here and run some dojo."

"How about Mitsuki Shibu?" Soun asked. "He's young, still, and as I recall he was very good."

"_Very_ good," Nabiki agreed. "He's head of my security, you know."

"That's right! I remember now! A fine lad! Why, he'd be perfect!"

"Except he's not interested in women," Nabiki said. "Sorry to disappoint you."

Genma frowned. "Shibu? Are you sure?"

"Quite."

"Nabiki," Soun said, "I don't approve of you having a head of security who's weak or cowardly..."

"Dad! He's not weak or cowardly, he's _gay_! One's got nothing to do with the other! Anyway, he was one of Ranma's best students; you just said so yourself!"

"I can't believe I didn't know he was gay," Genma said. "Every day, grappling with my son... it turns my stomach just to think of it..."

"Mr. Saotome, please. Ranma was a girl half the time, was he not?"

"Well, I suppose that's true..."

"How about Raita Haguri?" Soun asked.

"Haguri the thief?" Genma asked. "He's in jail."

Soun frowned. "When does he get out?"

"Dad!" Nabiki yelled, "we want someone _honorable_."

"Okay, okay," Genma said, "but considering how the school was founded... well, never mind. Can you think of anyone else, Tendo?"

"Perhaps someone who's won best all-around at a recent tournament?" a voice from the back wall asked. Several eyes flickered to Kazayuki Tamakaji, who was carefully inspecting the ceiling.

"Can you think of anyone else, Tendo?" Genma repeated.

"Someone who is the best current student?" the voice suggested helpfully.

"Tamakaji," Genma said, "this is a family discussion. Please remove yourself."

"Hai, Sensei!" the boy exclaimed. "But I _am_ the best current student, am I not?"

Nabiki smirked. "Have you defeated my niece Karu yet, Tamakaji?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Have you defeated my niece Keiko?"

"No, but she's _good_!"

"Have you defeated Akara then?"'

"No, but she cheats!"

"Have you defeated Yori?"

"She won't fight me. She says she could beat me, but she'd have to touch me to do it. But am I not the best current student who is not one of Sensei's daughters?"

"Hai, Tamakaji, and we can all be thankful for that. Now please leave us."

After the young man had left, Genma snapped his fingers. "I've got it! Yoshime Oke!"

"One of Ranma's brightest students," Nabiki said. "Of course, she's a girl..."

"She is?" Genma rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Too bad, she was a good one. Hmmm, let's see... Aiko Katsu? No, she's a girl too... let me think..."

"Father, Mr. Saotome," Nabiki said, "there isn't anyone else. All of the others can be disqualified, either because they're not worthy, or they're not of the right gender. Unless you want to drag one of my nieces off to Jusenkyo..."

"I've thought about it..." Genma began.

Everyone stared at Genma. A large sweatdrop appeared on his forehead. "Heh heh, that was a joke, of course," he said.

"Of course," Soun said. "But then – perhaps the simplest solution is the best. If one of my daughters could produce another son..."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Father, we've been down this road before. Akane has stated many times that five is enough. In fact, the only reason they had the fifth child was to please you. Kasumi is quite happy with her three children..."

"Yes, Father," Kasumi said. "Tofu and I do not plan to have any more."

"...And," Nabiki continued, "I'm far too busy to worry about children, even _if_ I had a man in mind to be the father. So it's just out of the question. You have eight grandchildren already, and that's all you'll ever have. End of discussion."

"Akane could change her mind," Soun said. "I could talk to her..."

"Not going to happen," Nabiki said, "In case you've forgotten, Ranma's had a vasectomy."

Soun blinked. "Oh. Yes, I _had_ forgotten."

"Oh, my son! Why must you be so unmanly?"

"There's nothing unmanly about it!" Nabiki snapped. "In fact, it allows him to be as _manly_ as he wants, without having to worry about an accidental family addition..."

"And our son is so _very_ manly," Nodoka interjected. "Why, he's probably up there being manly at this very moment!"

After a short, uncomfortable silence, Genma said, "But then, speaking of unmanly, if Akane will bear no more children, then perhaps Ranma..."

His voice trailed off. The others stared at him. After a moment, Nabiki said, "Let's just pretend you didn't really suggest that."

Dr. Tofu cleared his throat. "The solution to this problem is not difficult. Ranma and Akane have many friends who are skilled martial artists, and who have no doubt trained their children in the arts. Now that the school can house students, some of them might consider sending their sons here to train under Ranma. Ukyo Kunoji has expressed an interest before, and some of the others might be similarly inclined. If one of them were to train under Ranma, then marry one of our daughters or nieces..."

"There are others, as well," Nabiki said. "Natsumi and Kurumi have sons, as does Hinako-Sensei. All are trained in the Anything Goes school already, and you can't tell me that Natsumi or Kurumi wouldn't _jump_ at the chance to have one of their sons inherit the school. All they have to do is move here, and train under Ranma, and then..."

"An excellent plan, Ono-san!" Soun exclaimed. "That way, the children can decide. The first to marry will be the one to inherit."

"That remains a decision for Ranma and Akane to make," Nabiki said.

"Of course," Soun replied. "But since there _is_ no obvious choice now, should a superior student of the school wed one of my grand daughters..."

"...the right choice will be obvious," Genma finished the thought for him.

"Indeed," Soun said.

Nabiki nodded her head. "I agree," she said. "Mind you, you don't want Ranma or Akane to know of this little plan of yours..."

"No, of course not," Soun said. "At least, not at first..."

"Friends," Genma said, "I think it's time we enact Operation: Dojo Inheritance."

"An excellent suggestion, Saotome!"

"Oh, my," Kasumi said. "I never thought I'd be involved in one of father's and Mr. Saotome's nefarious schemes!"

"There's nothing nefarious about it," Genma said. "With the expansion of the dojo, Ranma and Akane will be actively searching for students to house and train."

"Yes," Soun said. "What harm is it if we steer a few worthy students their way?"

"None at all," Nabiki added. She pulled out her hand comp and began tapping buttons. "It's being taken care of as we speak."

Soun beamed. "My middle daughter is never one to waste time."

Nabiki smirked. "Actually," she said, "I anticipated this entire conversation months ago. It was inevitable from the moment Akane and Ranma talked about expanding the house and dojo. Thus, I've been planning our next few moves for some time. Just leave everything to me."

She placed the phone to her hear. "Hello? Ukyo? It's me, Nabiki..."

XXX

Ranma found Akane at the window in their bedroom, staring out at the koi pond. He sat on the bed and waited for her to speak.

"Sometimes your father makes me so mad I could just punch him," she finally said.

"Maybe you should do it," Ranma said.

"Ranma, he's your _father_."

"So? That never stopped me, did it?"

Akane giggled, then turned serious again. "It really doesn't matter what I say or do, or what you say or do. We both know he won't change his mind."

"Your father's involved in this too, you know."

"Yeah, by my dad's easily cowed. If it weren't for your father, he'd have given up by now. But Father Saotome will keep bringing this up forever and ever until it drives us absolutely mad! I could just..." She paused, then slammed her fist into the wall.

"That's a new wall," Ranma said.

"Ranma! You're not helping!" Akane growled. "Anyway, it's not new, just refurbished."

"Pop's got a point, Akane. You even said it yourself: this dojo wouldn't be where it is today without the both of us. It really can't be run by just one person."

"I know that! And I realize that it should be a married couple, everything's easier that way. It's just that..." She turned and looked into his eyes. "Ranma, I swore I'd never put our children through what you and I went through. How could we ever do that to our own children?"

Ranma stood, and his voice took on a more authoritative tone. "That's not going to happen, Akane. Not if I have anything to say about it. There will be no arranged marriages, nor any pressure on anyone to uphold the family honor or carry on the family traditions. Our daughters can do whatever they want with their lives.

"But it's different than it was with you and I. We've got five daughters, and Kasumi and Tofu have two more, and they've all studied the art, even Mitsuko and Nanae. I'm sure that at least one of them will want to carry on the dojo. We don't need to pressure them. But it _is_ a good idea to at least tell them that, if you want to inherit the dojo, you should marry someone who's a student of the school. That's fair, isn't it?"

"I don't know," Akane said. "I suppose it is. Even that creates some pressure, though. Sometimes I wish we'd never had a dojo to inherit, or a school to carry on. It would've made things a hell of a lot easier."

"Yeah. Except that we'd have never met."

A sly smile appeared on Akane's face. "Well, I could've always married Kunou..."

Ranma grinned and pulled her body close to his. "Oh, and he would have satisfied you, would he?"

"Perhaps," she said, suppressing a grin. "Of course, there are certain things I would have never been able to do with him..."

"Mmm? Such as?"

"Such as this." Flashing a wicked grin, Akane lifted the flower vase on the nightstand and upended it on Ranma's head. In a flash, Ranma shifted and shrank, as water soaked his hair and his red silk shirt. He -- now she -- was once again red-haired and female.

"Hey!" Ranma started to protest, but Akane kissed her passionately, cutting off further protest. When Ranma could finally come up for air, she said, "What was that for?"

"I'm in one of those moods."

Ranma's eyes got wide. "Now? We have guests."

"So? Kasumi's down there, and mother Saotome. I'm sure they'll be fine for half an hour or so. I just need a diversion, okay?"

"Well..." Ranma began.

Akane walked over to the dresser and began digging around in it. "Have I ever fought your father?" she asked.

"Not that I know of."

"I think I'm going to challenge him later tonight to a duel.'

"He doesn't like to fight women, you know."

Akane smiled and held up a thin packet with Chinese writing on it. "That won't be a problem," she said.

"Oh," Ranma said, eyebrows raised. "One of _those_ moods..."

XXX


	2. Chapter 2 Enter The Okonomiyaki Chef

**Chapter Two: Enter The Okonomiyaki Chef**

He wore a black school uniform, buttoned up the front, with a nehru collar. He had thick black hair, falling in bangs over his eyes, and tied back into a long, neat pony-tail at the neck. He might have been a typical high school student, save for the large spatula strapped to his back, and the bandolier of mini-spatula slung over his shoulder.

For a boy, he was exceptionally beautiful.

He carried his books across campus. A trio of older, larger boys trailed him, hurling taunts and insults.

"Hey, Miss, do I know you?"

"How's it going, little girl?"

"Watch out, little girl; at any moment a spider could come along and bite you!"

"Better stay out of the biology lab. They've got snakes and frogs and all sorts of horrible stuff in there."

"For a girl, she's pretty ugly, don't you think?"

When he failed to respond, or even look their way, the largest of them moved to block his path.

"Going somewhere, little girl?" he asked.

The boy tried to move around him. Again, the bully stepped into his path.

"Don't be like that, Princess," the bully said. "We found your boyfriend, you know. In fact, I've got him right here."

The bully produced a bright green frog. It's skin looked slick and wet in the bright sunlight, and it blinked and struggled to get free.

"Go on," the bully said. "If you kiss it, it'll turn into a Prince. Ain't that right, boys?"

The bully thrust the frog at the young boy's face. "Waaaaigh!" the boy screamed, jumping back. In a flash he dropped his books to the pavement and drew his battle spatula. "Keep that thing away from me!" he yelled.

"What's with the spatula, baby?" another asked. "Check it out, guys, she must be something special in the kitchen, with all of that hardware."

"Is that true, little girl?" the large one said. "Are you a good cook? You want to make someone a good wife, don't you?"

Another said, "Maybe she's going to cook us to death?"

XXX

"Perhaps, Masaaki-kun," the limo driver said, "you should have thought twice before putting three boys into the hospital. _Especially_ during your first week at a new school."

Masaaki Kuonji leaned into comfortable leather seat, his spatula across his knees. It wasn't even noon yet, and school was out, at least for him and three others. The streets of downtown Tokyo flashed past, full of shoppers with bags and dark-suited salary-men heading out to lunch.

Masaaki considered the question briefly, then shrugged. "I _did_ think twice," he replied. "It was an even better idea the second time around."

The driver glanced briefly to the heavens.

"I suppose what's done is done," he said. "But your mother will not be pleased. I shall pick her up at Haneda Airport in one hour, and I am certain she has already learned of your little escapade. That gives you an hour and a half to consider what to say to her. I suggest you use that time wisely."

The boy nodded. "Drop me off here, Yaba-san," he said.

"'Here', my good man, is two blocks short of our destination," the driver replied. "Were I to fail to see you safely to Uchan's, and should something happen to you, your mother would have my head on a platter."

"Nothing's going to happen to me," the boy replied. "One minute you're blaming me for being too vicious, the next you're afraid I'll get hurt. Don't you think I can take care of myself? You sound just like my mother!"

"I highly doubt that, Masaaki-kun. May I ask why you wish to to be let off before we've arrived?"

"I want to surprise Maurice," the boy said, gripping his spatula. "I can't do that if he sees us pull up out front."

"Of course, Masaaki-kun," the driver said, pulling the limo over. "Although I can't say that I approve. At least that disreputable cook has a thicker skull than your school friends apparently do."

"They're not my friends," the boy said, hopping out the door. "See you later, Yaba-san!"

XXX

The sign in the window read "Uchan's". Behind the red neon, outlined in grey, was the trademark spatula, Uchan's corporate logo. This was their flagship store, in the heart of downtown Tokyo, in the same building as the company headquarters.

The businessman had eaten lunch here every day since discovering it two weeks ago. The food was fantastic, the service marvelously entertaining, and the waitress was quite beautiful.

He pushed the door open. As usual the place was packed, but Takayo spotted him immediately. She led him to a seat at the bar, where he heard the sizzle of the grill. The aroma of frying shrimp and soy caressed his nose.

"How are you this day?" she asked.

"Fine, fine, Takayo-chan," he said. She allowed him to call her that -- she allowed _all _the regulars to call her that, but often he dreamed that it was just him, that there was something special between them. The overworked salary-man basked in her smile, and felt the worries of the day, and the strain of his life at home, melt away. For one hour, at least, he was in heaven.

Behind the large grill, a young man flipped okonomiyaki expertly. He was an anomaly, very un-Japanese in look and bearing, and in stark contrast to the businessmen that he entertained. His hair was long and dyed blond, and tied back in a pony-tail. His chest was broad and his arms powerfully corded, and he had a tan as deep as the Pacific Ocean. Tattoos adorned both biceps, and gold earrings pierced his ears. On the wall behind him were pictures of him surfing the waves in Hawaii, California, and Australia. Other pictures were from his other travels. This chef, half the businessman's age, had already seen more of the world than he _ever_ would.

The businessman thought of him as a gaijin, a foreigner, despite his obviously Japanese face.

"Hey there!" the young man said. "The usual, I assume?"

The businessman nodded. "Konichi-wa, Maurice-san. How are you?"

"I'd be better if I were at the beach!" Maurice said with a grin. He turned and yelled, "Order up! Two shrimp, one plain, hot and ready!" His spatula moved with a blur, and okonomiyaki sailed through the air like Frisbees at a park. Takayo leapt, her long, light-blue hair trailing behind her like the tail of a comet, and caught the okonomiyaki on three plates. In one continuous motion, she deposited them before the amazed customers.

A round of applause followed. Kitada-san clapped too, and Takayo blushed demurely, performed a quick curtsey, then turned back to her work.

It took talent to be an Uchan's chef or waitress. The pay and benefits were excellent, or so the businessman had heard.

His eyes lingered on her, watching every graceful movement.

How did the western song go? Ah, yes. Poetry in motion. That was Takayo-chan, all right.

The chef cleared his throat, drawing his attention. "Dream all you want," Maurice said, his eyes dancing. "But don't take it too far. You don't really know her, and if you did, it just might shatter all of your beautiful illusions."

Kitada-san frowned. Was that meant as a warning, or a threat? He already knew that Maurice and Takayo shared an apartment. In this day and age, that didn't necessarily imply a romantic relationship, but...

The businessman smiled. "Well," he said, "I suppose you're right. If my wife were to see me staring that way, I'd spend many nights asleep on the living room floor!"

His meal arrived, steaming, and he tore his eyes from the beautiful sprite with the blue hair. His stomach growled in anticipation, and he began to eat. He heard the tinkle of the bell as the front door swung open, but when he turned to look, curious, there was nobody there.

Without warning, Maurice shot straight up. Several somethings whizzed by the businessman's ears and collided with the far wall. He blinked. A half-dozen mini spatula quivered there, having pierced several of Maurice's photos.

"Ha!" Maurice yelled. He landed on his feet, a giant spatula in hand. The businessman blinked again. Where had _that_ come from?

There was a blur of movement behind the chef. He started to twist, to spin away, but something connected with his skull, and he stumbled forward, nearly losing his balance.

"Merde! Madre Dios! Sonofabitch!" the chef cried out, before realizing where he was. "Oh, sorry about the language, guys..."

The businessman gripped the edge of the bar, ready to dive under it or run for the door at a moment's notice. Instead, he saw a young boy standing there, a massive spatula gripped causually in his hands. He wore a typical school uniform and grinned like a madman.

"Ha! Got you, you bastard!" the boy exclaimed.

Feeling the bump at the back of his head, Maurice smiled as well. Then his face became serious, and he bowed deeply. "As always, Master Masaaki, your skill far exceeds mine."

"Aw, come on, Maurice," the boy said. "Knock it off! No need to act so formal!"

The chef grinned and grabbed the boy in a powerful hug. "Masaaki, my man!" he exclaimed. "How ya doing? Oh, and watch the language, kid, there are customers about."

A few customers began to clap nervously. The businessman joined in, and the entire room erupted into applause. While he was not convinced that this was a normal part of the show, he appreciated a display of great martial arts when he saw one.

The boy sheathed his battle spatula and, moving as silently as before, took a seat.

"One seafood special, Maurice," he said.

"Hai!" the chef called out. He flicked his wrist, and something landed on the bar.

"Aaaaaigh!" the boy screamed and leapt to the far side of the room, hands held before him as if to ward off a demons.

The chef laughed out loud. The object on the bar, Kitada saw, was nothing more than a rubber spider, and a not-very-realistic one at that. "Gotcha back!" the chef yelled. "Oooh, man, you should have _seen_ yourself, Masaaki!" The chef pried his eyes open wide in pantomime.

"That's not funny!" the boy growled, returning to his seat.

"By the way, que pasa? Why aren't you in school?"

The boy glared into the polished wood before him. "I got kicked out," he said.

"Again?" Maurice asked. "What is it, now, four schools? Five?"

"Only three," Masaaki said, a bit defensively. "Still, mom's gonna _kill_ me! I mean, there are only so many good private schools around here, and with my past, some of the others have already said no."

"How about St. Hebereke?" the chef asked.

The businessman almost choked on his food, excellent as it was. St. Hebereke? "That!" he exclaimed, interrupting the two. "That... that's my _daughter's_ school! It's for _girls only_!"

Maurice nodded, grinning. "And?"

The businessman sputtered. Did he really need to explain it? "Don't be stupid! You can't send a boy like this to an all-girl's school!"

"Relax, sir," the chef said. "Masaaki here makes a really cute girl! I've seen him do it; the kid's a natural with disguises. He gets it from his pop, same as the ninja tricks. Trust me, if Masaaki wanted to, he could blend in at St. Hebereke and nobody would ever know...

"Anyway," he said, turning back to his grill, "Takayo-chan went there." The businessman stole another long glance at the lovely blue-haired beauty as she moved between tables serving the other customers. "Well, yes," he said, "but, after all, she's a _girl_."

The chef only smiled in return. Suddenly, the businessman had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"She _is_ a girl, isn't she?" he asked. He looked over his shoulder, sweat beading his forehead. My god, I've been _fantasizing _about her! What if she isn't... what if...

No, that could never be. One glance at her, and you _knew_ she was female. No male could look like _that_.

The chef continued to grin. "Well," he said, "I could tell you she was a guy, but that's not something you want to hear. So I won't."

Which wasn't an answer at all.

"Anyway, I'm not going to St. Hebereke," the boy, Masaaki, said. "I'm not going to _any_ girl's school, Maurice. Just because I can impersonate a girl, doesn't mean I _want_ to. Especially not 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!"

"Well, then," the chef said, "you might have to do public school, my man." He flipped an okonomiyaki onto a plate and set it before the boy. "Don't sweat it, kid. I did public school, and look how I turned out!"

XXX

She had red hair, tied back into a long braid that fell past her waist. She was impulsive, with a volatile temper. She was an excellent martial artist, which was only expected, given her father.

Her name was Reiko Saotome, and she didn't know that Masaaki Kuonji existed.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. They'd met each other, several times, but she'd barely noticed him. He studied the picture on the wall of his mother's office, wishing he could get to know her better...

She had four sisters, also in the picture, along with her mother and father. Behind them was the dojo where her father taught martial arts. There were other pictures of her father on the wall, but Masaaki ignored everything but the image of Reiko, his red-haired love.

Mind you, one of those sisters in the picture was Karu Saotome, Keiko's twin. Her _identical_ twin. But even _if_ it was hard to tell the two apart, Masaaki only had eyes for Reiko.

After several minutes he glanced away, and a collage caught his eye. Masaaki was in the foreground, in his school uniform and with his battle spatula peeking over his shoulder. In the background was his mother, at age 16, his current age. She wore a boy's school uniform, with battle spatula, and looked so much like him that most thought it _was_ him.

There were other pictures of himself, and of his mother and father. One was of mom and dad before a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant: the very first Uchan's. Another showed his mother and father at their wedding, over 15 years ago, and a third, of a beautiful young girl that also happened to be his father.

Masaaki looked away, his eyes starting to mist. His father had been so gentle, and so loving. He'd always been there, even as mother's work slowly pulled her away... always, that was, until eight months ago...

Masaaki sighed and stared out the window. What a strange family he had! His mom, raised as a guy, his father, raised as a girl. Even the family name was Mother's, since Dad had never had one that he knew about... his dad had been "Konatsu", and that was it.

The office door swung open. Someone stepped around the large oak desk and sat behind it. She had long, dark hair, tied back with a bow of grey satin, the same color as her business suit. She crossed her arms.

"Hello, Son," she said..

"Hello, Mom," he replied. He'd been dreading this confrontation. Her eyes were full of anger and hurt, but also compassion and concern. Only a mother could look that way.

Ukyo Kuonji sighed, running her hands through her hair. "I just got back from Sydney," she said, "and before my plane even lands I've got a message from your Principal. Masaaki, you can't keep doing this!"

"They were asking for it!" Masaaki blurted out, then looked away. "Besides, I didn't break any bones or nothing. They'll be okay."

"What was it this time?"

Masaaki grimaced. "Aw, mom, you know. The same thing as always."

Ukyo sighed again. No one questioned her son's fighting skills, not when he'd never lost a battle. He was brave to the point of stupidity, just like a certain pig-tailed boy from her past. But his innate beauty, coupled with his unreasoning fear of slimy, creepy, crawly things, invariably led to teasing from school bullies. Eventually, that led to a fight.

"Well," she said, "this is your third private school this year. Six others have already turned you down."

"I know. Maurice suggested St. Hebereke..."

"Absolutely not!" Ukyo said, a little too loudly.

"It was a joke, Mom," Masaaki said. "He said I'd have to go to a public school now."

Ukyo nodded. "That's true, but it's a problem. You won't be able to live in a dorm, and I can't have you living on your own. You know I'm too busy to be here for you all of the time -- in fact, I have to fly to San Francisco in three days."

"Again?"

"Nabiki is bent on making U-Chan's a global enterprise. Her new goal is 10,000 stores within the next ten years." Ukyo went to the window and stared out over the city-scape. "I don't know, Masaaki. When I formed the partnership, I really didn't anticipate it being like this. I just don't know if I'm cut out to be the President of a global conglomerate, as well as a single mother. I don't see you as often as I'd like. It's been ages since I was actually behind a grill. When I'm not in a meeting or on the phone, I'm flying to Kami-knows-where. Nabiki is hounding me to improve my English skills, but I honestly don't know when I'll find the time."

She turned back, her eyes sad and wet. "Sometimes I think... I think I'm still running away... from you, from the pain..."

"Aw, Mom," Masaaki said. Then he was around the desk, holding her, wrapping his arms about her tightly. "Don't cry, Mom. I'll be allright, and I'll always be here for you, even if Dad..."

"I know," Ukyo said returning her son's fierce hug. "I know, my son."

For a long time they just held each other, then Ukyo released her son, slowly. She placed a kiss upon his head.

"Won't be much longer I can do that," she said with a grin. "You're growing up fast!"

Masaaki nodded in embarassment.

"Well," Ukyo said, "I actually have a solution, if you agree. You remember Ranma and Akane Saotome don't you? With their house and dojo completely remodeled, they have rooms for up to ten students to live there full-time. I'm sure they'd be willing to take you in, Masaaki, if you like. You'd have to become Ranma's student, but you couldn't hope to find a better master than him. You'd attend Furinkan High, my old school..." Her voice trailed off wistfully.

Masaaki's eyes got very, very big. "You mean, I'd be living with... with their whole family?"

His mother nodded. "Five girls," she said. "It'd be very different for you. If you think you'd like that, I can call them first thing tomorrow morning."

But Masaaki was thinking about one girl only. "Yeah, Mom," he said, his mind spinning. "I think I'd like it very much..."

XXX

Ukyo sat in her office and stared at the letter on her wristcomp screen for the hundredth time. It was from her boss, Nabiki Tendo, but was countersigned by five others. She stared at the names at the bottom of the page: Soun Tendo. Genma and Nodoka Saotome. Tofu and Kasumi Ono.

Two very important signatures were missing. The letter explained that. It laid out the entire situation, very clearly and succinctly. Nabiki had never been one to mince words.

The first point Ukyo didn't have a problem with. At his age, her son was the best martial artist she knew of. Not, perhaps, quite as good as Ranma had been at that age, but close. If anyone was worthy, it was Masaaki Kuonji.

The second point was also already solved. Masaaki would be housed at the Saotome household, and would train under Ranma and Akane. All of the arrangements had been made. As gifted as he was, he would quickly prove to be the best and brightest student of Anything Goes martial arts.

The third point would resolve itself as well. Try as he might to hide it, Ukyo knew very well how much her son was smitten by a certain Saotome daughter. With him living under the same roof, it was only a matter of time before things fell into place. After all, wasn't that why Akane wound up with Ranma? She'd had an unfair advantage, with her and Ranma living under the same roof. Ukyo had had two strikes against her before the game had even begun.

Not that Ukyo really had regrets; it had all been a long time ago, and her life since then had been very rewarding. Still, deep down, there was a part of her that believed that her honor had never been fully restored. Even if her father had accepted her marriage to Konatsu, and even if she'd had a good life with her husband, a tiny voice inside was whispering to her now. _You still have a chance_, it said. _You may not have married Ranma, but if your son marries his daughter, and inherits the dojo..._

Yes, she thought. Father would be pleased. Mother would be pleased. _I_ would be pleased. My honor...

The fourth point would be the most difficult: bringing Ranma and Akane around. But with all of their relatives on her side, it would only be a matter of time. Of that, Ukyo was certain.

She smiled in satisfaction. _Perhaps,_ she thought, _my son will yet call Ranma Saotome 'father'._

XXX


	3. Chapter 3 New Boy In Town

**Chapter Three: New Boy In Town**

Ranma rolled over onto her breasts and winced. She opened her eyes. The room was dark, but she recognized it as the bedroom she shared with her wife Akane.

Lying beside was a muscular man with long dark hair. She recognized him, too, although she only saw him a few times a year at most.

"Akane?" Ranma said.

The man opened his eyes. "Ranma? Oh. Morning?" He blinked blearily, then rolled over and glanced down at his muscular chest. "Huh. Why am I a guy?"

"You were in one of your moods," Ranma said.

"I was?"

"Yes. You wanted to beat up my father, remember?"

Realization dawned in Akane's eyes. "Oh. It's all coming back to me now. Ranma, I'm sorry. I only meant to hit him a little, to teach him a lesson..."

Ranma placed a slim finger to his lips. "Hush. He got exactly what he deserved."

Akane leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. "I haven't been a guy for a while," he said.

"No, you haven't," Ranma replied. She snuggled closer to Akane. Funny, how much more enjoyable it was to cuddle when she was the girl, and Akane was a like this.

"It's kind of fun," Akane said. "Once in a great while anyway. Mind if I stay this way for a few more hours?"

Ranma frowned. "We have guests," she said.

"I know."

"So I'm supposed to play the dutiful wife, and entertain the guests...?"

Akane wrapped an arm around Ranma. "Oh, my dear, but you're so very _good_ at it, when you want to be."

"And meanwhile, you do nothing but sit around and drink and play shoji with your father?"

"Sounds like fun," Akane said. "After all, with father Saotome out, daddy's missing a shoji partner, isn't he?" Ranma grumbled something unintelligible, and Akane added, "Oh, you know that Nanae and Mitsuko and Kasumi and your mother will have everything in hand. You won't have to lift a finger..."

"But _you_ will," Ranma said. "Or had you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what?"

Ranma giggled. "We need to call the contractors. As man of the house, that's your job."

Akane sighed, and the two lapsed into silence for several minutes. Finally Ranma stirred.

"Well," she said, "I'd love to stay here all morning, but we'd better get up. Company, you know."

Akane placed a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "They can wait," he said. "We really didn't have enough time together last night, did we?"

Ranma's eyes widened in surprise as Akane planted a long, passionate kiss on her lips. When Ranma finally came up for air, she gasped, "Oh Akane! You're still in the mood for..."

"You know I am," Akane said. His hand slipped between her legs. Ranma squirmed as a jolt of electricity shot through her.

"Oh... oh! I... I suppose another fifteen minutes couldn't hurt..."

XXX

It was a bright Sunday afternoon. Bodies flew high over the Saotome property like hyperactive fleas, colliding in midair and then bouncing apart to study each other or hurl insults before leaping back into the air. Two in particular made a very interesting pair. One was a heavy-set male in a white gi, while his opposite was a tiny bundle of red-haired fury. Their fists were flew too fast for the naked eye to see, strike and counterstrike.

Watching, Nabiki Tendo couldn't help but laugh. It did, in fact, look remarkably like a scene from nearly twenty years ago, save for the fact that the house in question had a new, third floor, the dojo had been expanded and refurbished, and the two martial artists in question were not Genma and Ranma Saotome.

The fat one winced as a roundhouse kick nearly took his head off. He flipped backwards in a remarkable display of agility for someone of his girth, and came up in a defensive crouch.

"So Keiko, have you considered what your grandparents were talking about last night?"

"What were they talking about?"

"About who will inherit the dojo."

Keiko made a face. "That again? As if I couldn't have guessed. Saotome ojii-san and Tendo ojii-san talk about nothing else!"

Kazayuki Tamakaji – for that was who the fat one was – launched himself at his much smaller opponent. She flew up to meet him. They collided in midair. The red-haired girl flipped gracefully backwards and landed lightly on her feet, while the fat boy landed heavily on the ground and continued to slide for a good twenty feet. Keiko laughed.

"The dojo should go to the best current student of Anything-Goes Martial Arts, don't you think?" Kazayuki asked.

"And who would that be?" Keiko asked. "You? Don't make me laugh!"

"I _did_ win the All-Tokyo title." Kazayuki Tamakaji paused to produce his blue ribbon. "See? Am I not the most qualified current male student at the school?"

"As if!" Keiko Saotome executed a series of attacks, ending in a powerful kick that sent the much larger Tamakaji flying backwards to land in the backyard koi pond.

This, too, looked remarkably like a scene that had been played out daily on these grounds nearly 20 years ago, but instead of a panda floating to the surface, it was only an unconscious Kazayuki Tamakaji.

Nabiki chuckled.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same. Eh, daughter?"

Nabiki glanced to her right, where her father Soun stood with a steaming cup of tea in his hand. "It looks that way," she said.

Shin Ono, son of Kasumi and Tofu, had rushed forward to pull Kazayuki from the water. "Oh, be careful!" he called out. "You'll hurt the fish!"

"He will be here soon?" Soun asked.

"Any minute now," Nabiki replied.

"Ah," Soun said. He sipped his tea, then stared off into the distance. "So it begins..."

XXX

There was a gaping hole in the South wall of the newly-christened Saotome dojo. The light of the morning sun streamed through to warm the dojo floor, where the family pet -- a floppy-eared black mut named Emchan -- lay sunning himself. His tail twitced as a fly buzzed overhead, then he yawned, scratched his ear, rolled over and drifted back off to sleep.

Two young girls stood inside the dojo. They surveyed the damaged wall. The younger of the two was Nanae Saotome, thirteen years of age and the youngest of Ranma and Akane's daughters. She wore a simple blue dress with a ruffled white apron over top. Her bright red hair was tied back in two long ponlytails that almost seemed to defy gravity as they cascaded back and down. She held a broom in her hand, which she had been using to sweep out the dojo.

The older girl was Akara Saotome, age sixteen. She wore a gi and pants that were dark grey, almost black. She had long, dark hair tied back loosely, as her mother had once had at the same age. She was, in fact, the only Saotome daughter who did not have red hair, and the one who most resembled their mother.

"Well," Nanae said, "that sure didn't take long."

Akara nodded, taking in the damaged dojo wall. "Brand new, too," Akara said.

"Funny, but I never, in a million years, would've thought that _mom_ would be the first to break something in here."

Akara laughed. "That really was some blow," she said "How's grandfather Saotome, by the way?"

"He's okay," the younger girl said. "They might even let him go home tomorrow, but with that cast, he has to be careful not to transform."

"That's true. So, do you think he learned his lesson?"

"What's that? Don't piss mom off?"

"Yeah."

Nanae thought for a moment, then returned to her sweeping.

"Nah," she said. "He's too stubborn."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Just like mom and dad."

The two heard the sound of a car pulling up at the front gate, then of the car doors opening. "Who could that be?" Nanae asked. "It's barely ten in the morning!"

"I don't know," Akara replied. "Why don't we go see?"

XXX

"Mom, is Takayo-chan really a guy?"

Ukyo sat in the back of the limo, with her son seated opposite her. They rolled down familiar streets, headed to a dojo that had at one time almost seemed like a second home to her.

She raised her eyebrows. "Whatever gave you that idea, Son?"

"Well, Maurice was teasing this customer, but when I said something about it, he just said, 'and what makes you think she _isn't_ a guy?' So now I'm not sure if Maurice is playing with my head, or maybe it's true and I _can't_ tell. Not that it really matters -- Takayo is still Takayo, no matter her gender -- but I really don't like to be fooled."

"Why don't you just ask her?"

Masaaki made a face. "Geez, Mom! You don't go around asking people what sex they are!"

Ukyo smirked. "I'm afraid," she said, "that I've had to do exactly that far too often in my life..."

The limo pulled up in front of a very familiar gate. "Well, here we are, son," Ukyo said. Despite herself, she sighed. This place held so very many memories for her, and now, her son would be living under this very roof...

The limo door opened, and Ukyo stepped out. As her son climbed out of the car and the driver set bags by the side of the road, she took in the world around her. The wind blew dust and stray leaves against the side of the wall. On the other side, birds were chirping merrily in the trees. Somewhere she could hear the tinkle of wind chimes, and the splash of koi in the pond...

She frowned. _Some_thing was splashing about in the pond, but it was making far too much noise to be just a fish.

Her son gathered his bags and stood beside her. "Well, Maasa-chan, are you ready?"

"Hai," the boy replied.

She glanced back at the driver. "We'll be at least an hour, I think, but perhaps longer. I'll call when I'm ready to leave."

The driver bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

Suddenly Ukyo whipped out her cell phone and handed it to the driver. "Before you go," she said. "Just one picture of the two of us? Please?"

"Aw, mom," Maasaki said.

XXX

Ranma Saotome wandered downstairs, still female, with a still-male Akane following behind. Ranma blinked. Why was everyone standing outside on the porch?

She stepped outside, and saw two familiar people standing in the front yard beside several suitcases. One of them was Ukyo Kuonji, his oldest friend. The other one was a dead-ringer for Ukyo at age sixteen. This was her son, Maasaki.

Gathered on the porch was most of the Saotome/Tendo/Ono clan. Ranma caught Nabiki's eye. "This is your doing, isn't it?"

Nabiki raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

"Geez. It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since the opening ceremony..."

After last night's showdown with Akane, Genma was of course in the hospital, but Soun was here.. Kasumi and Tofu were here, along with their sixteen-year-old son Shin, who took after his father, and their youngest daughter, fourteen-year-old Mitsuko, who took after her mother. Their eldest daughter, seventeen-year-old Yomiko, was nowhere to be seen, but that probably surprised no one. Then came her own daughters, the Saotome girls – Yori, the eldest at eighteen; Keiko and Karu, the sixteen-year-old twins; Akara, their sister, also sixteen, and Nanae, who at thirteen was the youngest of all the girls.

Ranma flashed back on her own first meeting at this house, and smirked. But there would be no "choose whichever one you want, and she will be your wife" if she had anything to say about it. Arranged marriages – who needed them?

And, of course, one other person was present...

A large boy leaped forward and struck a defiant pose. "Who are you, strangers, and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Welcome, friends, to my house," Ranma said, bowing. As the newcomers bowed, Ranma glanced at her student and added, "Tamakaji, please do not challenge our guests."

"Hai, Sensei!"

"This is Ukyo Kuonji and her son Maasaki. And this," Ranma said, "Is unfortunately my top student, Kazayuki Tamakaji."

The boy bowed formally. "Welcome to the Saotome Dojo!" he exclaimed.

"And now," Ranma said, "may I remind you that you are not actually a part of our family?"

The boy turned his big puppy-dog eyes to Ranma. "But that could soon change, isn't that right, Sensei?"

"Soon is such an optimistic word," Ranma said. "Soon pigs might fly." She glanced upwards as if expecting to see just that, then back at the two newcomers. She smiled warmly, and said, "Why don't you come in and have some tea, and we can talk about why you're hear?"

XXX

Soon the extended clan was gathered in the family/dining room, with Kasumi, Nodoka, Nanae and Mitsuko serving tea and sweet bean treats. Muted conversations mixed with the clinking of dishes and the splash from the koi pond outside the open doorway. Masaaki shifted uncomfortably, aware that all eyes were on him, that he was on display.

Ranma sat across from Ukyo and Maasaki and studied them carefully. "So," she finally said, "To what do we owe this honor? As if I couldn't guess," she added with a smirk.

"Allow me to explain, since it was largely my idea," Nabiki said. "Ukyo has been having trouble keeping her son in school. It seems that wherever he goes, he's soon expelled for fighting."

Ranma raised an eyebrow. "You start a lot of fights?" she asked the young boy.

"No!" Maasaki blurted out. "I never start them!"

"But you finish them, don't you?" Ranma asked.

The boy stared at the floor. "Uh... yeah..."

"Anyway," Nabiki said, "given that you and Akane now have room to board students, I suggested to Ukyo that she could have Maasaki stay here and train under you, while he attends Furinkan high. It seemed like the perfect solution to their problems."

"Oh, I _see_," Akane growled. "And last night's conversation has _nothing_ to do with this?"

Nabiki's eyes widened. "Conversation? What conversation?"

"You are _so_ full of it!"

"Now, dear, she's got a point," Ranma said. "We built this expansion for this very reason -- although I didn't really expect our first tenant quite so _soon_." She glanced at Nabiki. "Were you planning to talk to Akane or I about this at some point?"

"Of course. Which is what I am doing right now, isn't it?" When Akane rolled his eyes, Nabiki added, "I know it's sudden, but Maasaki was kicked out of his most recent school only yesterday. I only found out about it shortly before our little 'conversation'. Surely you don't think I _planned_ that?"

"With you," Akane said, "anything's possible." He glanced back at Maasaki. "Now, I don't doubt that the son of Ukyo has great potential as a student." She spared a glance at a large, round shadowy figure hanging just within earshot on the porch outside of the family room. "No doubt more potential than any student we've seen in quite a while," she added. "But I'll remind you, Nabiki, that _you_ are not qualified to decide who will become students of the school."

"Yes, of course," Nabiki said.

"As heads of the school and owners of the dojo, Ranma and I are the only ones to make those decisions."

"Exactly." Ranma stared at the boy. "You've studied your mother's martial arts styles, haven't you?" he asked.

"Hai! And also my father's ninja styles."

"And now you wish to learn Anything-Goes Martial Arts?"

"Hai."

Ranma sighed. "What do you think, Akane?"

The tall man seemed to consider the question carefully. Finally he said, "Have we ever turned a potential student away?"

"Not so far," Ranma said.

"Well then! Now would be a bad time to start, wouldn't it?" Akane smiled a goofy grin, which looked a bit out of place on his current masculine face.

"True," Ranma said. "And of course, we _do _need at least a few students here, to help justify the expense of putting in that third floor."

"Indeed," Akane said. "Honestly, having our first student turn out to be Maasaki is an added bonus. And as for getting kicked out of school for fighting, I doubt that will be any problem at Furinkan..."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow. "Furinkan hasn't changed, after all these years?"

"Principal Kuno is gone," Ranma said, "and Hinako Sensei no longer teaches there. But you forget that in the last sixteen years, there has always been at least one student of the Saotome school of Anything-Goes martial arts attending Furinkan."

"Ah, yes," Ukyo said. "That would keep things pretty lively. And now your daughters are attending..."

"Four Saotome daughters," Akane said, counting off on her fingers. "One Ono daughter, and one Ono son. Four current students of our dojo – five with the addition of Maasaki. Oh, and then there's Shampoo and Mousse's daughter Gel, and also the son of Hinako Sensei. Things stay pretty lively. To be honest, they really _need_ someone like Principal Kuno or Hinako Sensei right now."

"Pardon me for asking," Ukyo said, "but with your oldest daughter graduating soon, have you thought about who will inherit the dojo?"

Akane and Ranma eyed each other nervously. Soun Tendo laughed nervously and a little forcefully.

"Now, now, no need to bring that conversation up again," he said. "I'm sure it will all work itself out somehow."

"Ah...haha. I'm sure it will," Ukyo said. "But it sounds so much like old times," she added wistfully. She hugged her son. "Oh sugar, you're going to have so much fun here! So, is it official?"

"Sure," Ranma said. "Let me get one of the standard contracts... Nanae, could you show Maasaki the third floor rooms? Whichever one he wants will be his. Then, when you have things settled, meet us out in the dojo. Wear something appropriate for a workout."

"I'd be happy to!" the youngest Saotome daughter exclaimed. "Just grab your bags and follow me, Maasaki!"

Before they could move, a very large boy sprang into the room. "Welcome to the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts!" Tamakaji bellowed. "It is the greatest school in the world! Sensei is the greatest Sensei you will ever meet! You will address me as upper classman!"

Ranma sighed. "Tamakaji, did I not ask you to leave?"

"Hai, Sensei! I am leaving! Immediately!"

XXX

Nanae Saotome flung the door open and ushered Masaaki Kuonji inside. "This is your room!" she exclaimed. "I hope you like it! Just drop your things wherever; I'll put everything away for you later, okay?"

"You don't need to do that," Masaaki said as he set his suitcase down. The room came with an already-made bunk bed, a dresser, and two desks with chairs. Otherwise it was as empty as a mall parkinglot at 3 am. The smell of fresh paint was very strong, and everything looked shiny and new.

Masaaki had noticed the worn steps and bannister between the first and second floors, and the patchwork quality of the walls where repairs had been made too many times, but the entire third floor had bright lacquered wood and spotless walls and floors.

"This whole section is new," Nanae said. She was the youngest of the Tendo daughters, with blue-green eyes and two thick ponytails of dark red hair that cascaded over her shoulders. In a word, Nanae was _cute_.

"Not that it will stay that way," she continued, "in a house full of martial artists. There's room for ten students, if we put two in a room, but right now there's just you. I hope you won't be lonely, up here all by yourself. You should be grateful, I have to share a room with my older sister Akara, and she gets a little weird sometimes. I don't know what it'll be like having boys around here; the only ones here now are Dad and Grandfather Tendo, and half the time Dad doesn't even count!"

She laughed at her joke, but Masaaki just nodded. "That man was your mother then?"

"Yeah," Nanae said. "Since Dad is a woman so much, I guess that sometimes Mom wants to be a man... to kind of balance things out, I guess. She has a magic powder of some sort that does it. It's just temporary though, she's not cursed like Dad is."

"Sounds useful," Maasaki said.

"I suppose it could be," Nanae said, laughing nervously. "I mean, _I_ sure don't want to be a boy! But anyway, Dad had to borrow from Aunt Nabiki to build all this. But if a few more students stay here, we'll be able to pay her back quickly. Dad doesn't like to be in debt, especially to her. I hope it's not too small..."

"No, not at all," Masaaki said, still takin the room in. "I'm used to dorm rooms. This is big in comparison. In fact, this is just perfect!

"Keiko's room is below mine, right?"

The girl frowned. "I _think_ so..."

Masaaki continued to prowl about the room, inspecting the floorboards and corners.

"What are you doing?" Nanae asked.

"I'm looking for spiders. You can never be too careful."

Nanae laughed. "It's too new to have any spiders!" she exclaimed. "In fact, the smell from the paint's pretty strong. I should open the windows and let it air out." She pulled back the drapes, revealing the bright afternoon sunlight, then threw the window open. A cool, fresh air rushed in. Masaaki looked around, trying to imagine living in this room.

Moments later a face appeared in the window, hanging upside down. It was a girl with long black hair and a mischievous grin. Immediately she flipped into the room, landing lightly on her feet.

"Welcome to the nineteenth century," she said, flashing a wicked smile. "That's a joke, but my parents really _are _old fashioned. I mean, they still avoid computers, can you believe it? And we've still got a flat-screen tv, not even an interactive one." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Akara, by the way. And you're Masaaki Kuonji. You remember me, right? I see you've met Nanae..."

Masaaki could only nod his head.

"I know you saw me and my other sisters downstairs, but I just wanted to say hi in person," Akara continued. "You'll get to know all of us pretty quickly. This is going to be so much fun! I hope we get a few more students soon, and boys I hope! But if they're even _half_ as cute as you, I'll just die! Oh!" she added, placing a hand to her lips. "I think I've said too much already!"

"Ah," Maasaki said. He stared at Akara for a moment, then looked back at Nanae. "Do you help out with the cleaning around here?" he asked.

"Sure!" Nanae exclaimed. "I help mom out a lot! With so many people in such a large house, cooking and cleaning is a full-time job. Anyway, my sisters all have the excuse of training so they don't help out much. With the new dojo and the third floor, we're going to be even more busy, so Cousin Mitsuko is going to help us out after school. You'll like her! She is very beautiful and the nicest person you've ever met, just like Aunt Kasumi and Uncle Tofu."

Akara smirked. "You know about Yomiko?" she asked.

"Yomiko?"

"Mitsuko's older sister."

"I... ah... no. Is there something I should know?"

Nanae laughed nervously. "Now, now, mom says if you can't say something nice about someone..." Her voice trailed off. "Well, she's a _very_ good fighter," the girl finally said. "I'm sure you'll get to meet her soon. And I"m sure it will be very interesting..."

"Great-Grandfather Happosai used to live here, too," Akara said, "but he died before Nanae was even born. I can't even remember him. He was the founder of the school, you know. He was a real pervert too, so maybe it's a good thing that he's dead..."

Akara suddenly stuck her hand out. "Here," she said, "I got something for you."

Masaaki held out his hands. Akara opened hers, and a live beetle dropped onto his outstretched palm.

"AAAAAAIGH!" Masaaki yelled. He jumped backwards through the door, flinging the bug towards Akara.

"Ah, even worse than I expected," Akara said. She spoke into her cell phone. "Subject exhibits extreme phobia of beetles."

"Akara!" Nanae exclaimed. "That was mean!"

"Just checking the veracity of the rumors I've heard," Akara cheerfully replied. "It's important to know as much about the people around you as possible. I mean, suppose I'm attacked by a giant spider? I have to know who I can count on to rescue me, right?"

XXX


End file.
